On The Pitch
by Mia W
Summary: INCOMPLETE! Takes place in Harry's fifth year, Harry and Cho are made quidditch captains of their house teams and have to forget last year's events to play against each other. But does Cho blame Harry for Cedic's death?
1. Prologue

Ok, my first real fanfic that I'm posting, so please be gentle.  
  
~*~Anyway, this starts off after the end of GoF, it's Harry's fifth year and he's been named quidditch captain. The old Ravenclaw captain, Roger Davies, graduated from Hogwarts last year and Cho is the new Ravenclaw captain. Cho and Harry will NOT date in this, but they may become friends, who knows? Definitely not me. Oh, and Alicia Spinnet is a year older than the other chasers. That's not wrong or anything, I don't think it was ever stated which year she was. Anyway, that's why she graduated and Angelina and Katie didn't.  
  
Disclaimer: Ok, I own nothing here and I'm making no money off this. This is just for fun. JKR and WB are the kings (and queen) of the universe and own all things HP.  
  
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Harry climbed through the portrait hole to the Gryffindor common room, shivering. He shook his head in a doglike fashion to throw the rainwater out of his jungle of black, messy hair. Being quidditch captain was hard work, especially when you were taking over after the soon-to-be-legendary Oliver Wood. He would make any other captain look bad in comparison, and more than anything, Harry hated being less than the best. So Harry had kept up the frequent quidditch practices like Oliver had done, no matter what weather Hogwarts was facing.  
  
Hermione and Ron were sitting by the fire. Hermione was squinting at a huge book resting on her lap. It was A Study of Modern Magic, that stupid book Hermione had been reading since Tuesday. She claimed that it was "just fascinating", but having her nose stuck in it made her very slow moving in the corridors and prone to crashing into people. Plus she was never listening to what he and Ron were saying and never contributed anything to the conversation. He and Ron had jokingly planned to throw the book into the fire the previous night, causing Hermione to slam it shut and storm up to her dormitory to read in peace. "Well, at least she closed it," Ron had said, shaking his head. "It's not much, but it's a start."  
  
Ron slowly looked up from his homework and gave Harry a relieved smile. "Thank God!" Ron jumped up and ran over to him. Hermione gave him a scowl before going back to her book. "I've been sitting here bored to death for the last two hours!" Ron whispered, looking over his shoulder at Hermione.  
  
Harry wiped the wet hair off his forehead. "Sorry, practice went a bit late." He plopped down onto the floor next to Hermione. "It's raining something fierce out there." He pointed at the window, where the rain was pounding furiously like it was trying to break the glass.  
  
Ron took the chair on the other side of Hermione. "So are you guys ready?" he asked in a hush voice. Better if the rest of the common room didn't hear, in case the answer wasn't the one they wanted. Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. We've been practicing like mad lately, but things aren't the same without Wood. I just can't be sure. I hope so."  
  
"It's not a big match Harry, it's just the beginning of the season. Ravenclaw's not that tough this year without Davies. They've got no leadership, that Cho's not captain material." Ron said with a weak smile.  
  
Harry couldn't help but feel worse. Captain material. Harry sure didn't feel like captain material right then. A captain wouldn't let his relationship with another captain make him sweat nervously, as Harry began doing right then.  
  
He didn't want to play against Cho's team, not after all of what had happened last year. Images of the Yule Ball, Cedric's lifeless body and the tears streaking down Cho's face on the last day of term flashed through his mind. Things were different now. He knew that nothing could ever happen between them, but he didn't really care about that anymore. But she was a reminder of all of the things he wanted to forget about last year, as Harry knew he was to her. He would have to shake her hand before the match. He would have to look her in the eye again... 


	2. Butterflies

Just a reminder. PLEASE REVIEW!! Thank you.  
  
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Harry was sitting at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, quietly munching on his toast. He was running through all of the moves and tactics he had been helping the team with, wondering if they could pull it off. After Harry had been made captain, Hermione had insisted that they both research quidditch tactics so that he could teach the team all new moves, and Harry had happily agreed.  
  
Fred and George had been playing like champions this year, giving the team their one hundred percent each practice. Come to think of it, Fred and George had been giving everything one hundred percent this year. They were cracking even more jokes than usual, being extra friendly to the eagles and badgers and being extra unfriendly to the snakes. They were even caught studying in the library at least once a week by Hermione! Harry decided that they must have been trying to leave Hogwarts with a bang, making sure that no one would forget them in a hurry. "But they don't really need to," he said to himself with a smile. "No one could ever forget the Weasley twins."  
  
Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, and Alicia Spinnet had perfected the Hawkshead attacking formation last quidditch season when Harry was in his third year. But last year had been Alicia's last, and that had left another opening in the team. Harry's mind flashed back to last month's quidditch trials for a new keeper and chaser, along with reserves. He had smiled at all of the people who had shown up, and wished his friends good luck. Seamus, Dean, and Ron had of course came, but there were a few unexpected potentials too. Harry remembered how he had grinned when he had been surprised by Ginny, and how his eyes had popped out when he saw Lavender and Parvati standing near the stands.  
  
"Hi Harry!" Lavender waved and smiled at Parvati to show that she was pleased that Harry was surprised. "Are you girls trying out?" he asked, trying to keep a straight face. He knew that they would probably get mad if he laughed. "I am," Parvati said proudly. Harry turned around in pretence of coughing and allowed himself a small laugh. "Well good luck!" he had called out, as he ran back towards the team.  
  
Now he felt very stupid for laughing at Parvati. She had flown like an angel, and despite her silly ways she wasn't afraid to block an incoming Quaffle. She was made keeper, and Dean was the reserve. It was always a good idea to have a reserve keeper, even though Wood had never had one.  
  
Choosing a chaser had been a bit more difficult. Ron was Harry's best friend, but Seamus was a definitely the best choice, and Ginny was better than Ron. He had felt like dirt afterwards, but Seamus was made the new chaser, and Ginny a reserve. Ron hadn't been too disappointed though. "If I had to play in front of the whole school, I'd probably pass out or something," he had joked. Harry knew that he was far more disappointed than he let on. After all, his little sister had out-flown him, and it's embarrassing enough not to make the team in the first place.  
  
"Hi Harry!" He looked up to see Parvati running forward. She was holding her broom in her hand, a beautiful Comet260. She was grinning and slightly out of breath, like she had been running. "Hi Parvati." He offered her a piece of toast, but she shook her head. "I've already eaten. I woke up hours ago, and I just couldn't get to back to sleep, I was so excited!" Harry grinned. "I know what you mean. I was the same way before my first match, only I was more terrified than excited." They both laughed nervously, and to Harry's delight, Parvati sat down next to him and they proceeded to discuss all of the formations they had practiced.  
  
Soon after, Ron and Hermione came down the stairs. Hermione said hello to Parvati and sat down next to her. Ron raised his eyebrows suspiciously before sitting down next to Harry. They all talked happily about the match, and for once, Harry wasn't nervous about it. He knew that this was probably the biggest game that he would ever play, but he just couldn't make himself care. Who cares if everyone thought he wasn't captain material. There was no one else, after all.  
  
A group of Slytherins made their way across the hall to the group of Gryffindors. Before they could think of anything insulting to say, Harry caught a glimpse of their warped reflections in his spoon. Thinking quickly, he said rather loudly "I smell dragon dung." He turned around and pretended to smile happily. "Ah, should have known. Hello Draco! When was the last time you bathed, Christmas?" The Gryffindors laughed loudly, perhaps louder than they would have normally. Draco was indifferent.  
  
He grinned maliciously. "Laugh all you want now. You won't be laughing later, I can guarantee it." He looked down at his nails and stretched his fingers. "Wood would cry if he knew what you were doing to his precious team. Good luck, Potter. You too, dollface. Be careful not to break a nail on Potter's thick skull." And the Slytherins walked away, all smirking annoyingly.  
  
"Forget about them, Harry," said Hermione sternly. "They don't know what they're talking about." She crossed her hands and set them on her lap.  
  
Ron jumped up and pointed at Hermione. "Your book! It's gone." He looked up at the enchanted ceiling in dazed expression. "It's gone," he whispered, like it was too good to be true. Hermione just rolled her eyes. "Well, I finished it, didn't I? she said, clearly annoyed by Ron's delight.  
  
Harry tapped Parvati on the shoulder and nodded his head towards the entrance hall. "We better get going." Parvati nodded and stood up. "See you guys later. And wish me luck!" Parvati called. "Wish for a miracle." Whispered Harry. And they both walked off, hearts banging in their throats. 


	3. Pep Talk

Ok, first off, thanks to MorningLight and Arifi for reviewing, you guys made me inspired to continue. Oh, and about what you said about Harry being too young to be captain, Arifi? Well, I thought that too, but when I looked closer at the books, it turns out that Oliver Wood was captain in the SS and he was just a fifth year then too. Harry's been playing on the team since his first year; something that's unheard of, so I think that he could be made captain. Ok, on with the story, let's see what I can think of for this chapter.  
  
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Harry struggled to swallow, but his throat seemed to be frozen up. He felt the six pairs of eyes burn into him as Fred, George, Angelina, Katie, Parvati, and Seamus all stared at him expectantly. They had all changed into their scarlet quidditch robes and were sitting in the Gryffindor locker room. Harry struggled to think of something captain-y to say, something Oliver would have used. He cleared his throat. This was so stupid! These people were his friends; there was no reason to feel so foolish.  
  
"Ok." he said shakily. "We've been training hard, learning new moves, and there's no reason for us to not kick eagle ass today." He swallowed and started up again, gradually growing steadier. "Fred? George? Don't forget what we practiced. The double clutch?" They both nodded.  
  
"Seamus? Katie? Get the Quaffle to Angelina. When they start defending her properly, switch to Katie, then Seamus. Remember that, ok? Angelina, Katie, Seamus. Keep them guessing. But that doesn't mean that you don't take a shot if you can get it. That's just the general plan, ok?"  
  
"Parvati? Seamus?" They both looked up at Harry. Parvati was smiling, shifting anxiously from foot to foot. A single drop of sweat made it's way down the side of Seamus' head. "You guys are going to do great. Don't even worry about it, ok? We got this game."  
  
"Ok. Are we ready?" Everyone stood up and grabbed their brooms, the rush of a quidditch match pounding it's way through their veins. Harry looked nervously behind him. Everyone was smiling, excited to be playing again. Harry shook himself internally, and then pushed open the doors that lead to the pitch.  
  
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I know, that was a really short chapter, but I'm going to start with the next one right now, and it's going to be extra long. Anyway, if anyone's reading this, please review so that I know that you're there. Thank you! 


	4. Sweating Bullets

Ok, 4th chapter, I hope that this is good. Sorry to be so late, I've been keeping busy doing nothing, if you know what I mean. I can't wait to write the match... *excited*  
  
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Sunlight landed on the Gryffindor team as they flew out onto the pitch, Harry in the lead. The crowd exploded with applause, but like always, there were boos and hisses sprinkled in as well. Today Harry noticed them even more than usual, feeling like they were all meant for him. Well, he'd show them today if he deserved them or not. He'd show himself if he was meant to be captain.  
  
The crowd erupted in noise once again as the Ravenclaw team came flying out of their locker room. Harry caught a flash of Cho before he had flown past her. Suddenly his heart started racing, and his mind just kept screaming, over and over again "Cho, Cho, Cho, Cho." He couldn't do this, couldn't face her again. "But there's no turning back now" he said to himself. "It's no big deal. She's just a girl, just the Ravenclaw captain."  
  
He landed nimbly on the ground and started towards Madam Hooch, who was carrying the box of quidditch balls toward the center of the pitch. Cho was walking towards Hooch from the opposite direction, so that she and Harry were facing each other. "Just keep your cool. It's just Cho. Cho Chang. Beautiful, tortured Cho Chang. God, she probably hates me. She's always hated me, and then I lived when Cedric. Does she think it's my fault? I gotta get away from here. Do I have to sweat now? Oh man, she'll notice! I can't act like this." From high above, Harry could hear Lee Jordan's magically magnified voice, but he couldn't concentrate on the words.  
  
He wiped the sweat from his brow and tried to mimic the blank, determined expression Cho was wearing. "Captains." Hooch said, nodding to both of them. "Shake hands." Harry extended his hand quickly, and after what seemed like an eternity, Cho eventually shook it. They stood staring at each other for a moment, and deep down, Harry wanted the moment to last forever but at the same time to be over quickly. He was sure he could see the beginnings of a smile on Cho's face, but then she let go of his hand and it was gone. He could feel the sweat sliding down his face, but he also felt sweet relief. In a few seconds, he would be back in the air, the only place he truly belonged.  
  
"Mount your brooms." Harry saw Cho's eyes flit to the words Firebolt on his broom. Cho flew a Comet260. No match for a Firebolt, but Cho was an excellent flier, and could compensate for any disadvantages of having a slower broom. Harry concentrated on the crate of balls in front of him, and was up in the air the minute the balls were released. The match was under way.  
  
Angelina swooped in and grabbed the Quaffle right before Kevin Entwhistle, a Ravenclaw chaser, could get to it. She flew in a tight circle before passing the quaffle along to Seamus. He was on the far right of the pitch, and caught the ball with one hand, almost dropping it while dodging a bludger, sent his way by McDougal, a Ravenclaw beater.  
  
Meanwhile, Harry was flying up as high as he could go and still be able to see the game clearly. He scanned the area below him, searching for any sign of the snitch, but he came up empty. He heard someone flying up next to him, and spun around to see who it was. It was Cho, doing the same thing he was. Before she could look up to see him, he flew across to the other side. His eyes scanned the area around him, while he mentally kicked himself for avoiding her even now. "I can't let this control me. We've got to win."  
  
The crowd exploded with cheers, as Lee Jordan shouted out that Seamus had scored, giving Gryffindor an early lead. Despite himself, Harry smiled. He had known Seamus would do well. "I'm NOT a bad captain, I'm not a bad captain." he chanted to himself, trying to relax. He knew he could relax and get into the game if he tried hard enough. After all, the match was far from over.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ I'm not done writing the match, but I don't want this chapter to get too long. Please review!! 


	5. Disapointing Note from the Author

Just thought I should let you know (if there is anyone still interested after I waited ever so long to tell you) that I will not be finishing this fanfic, as the fifth book has already come out and, even though I still won't be getting my copy for a week, everyone else has read it and it sort of loses the magic. Basically, I like writing fics when I feel especially anxious to get my hands on the next book. I don't anymore. Sorry if I started an interesting story and let it die. I didn't know what was going to happen either, so I probably would have killed it eventually anyway.  
  
~mia 


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